What's On Your Mind?
by Crystal Blue Montana
Summary: It's late at the Shiba House, but the two youngest Shinkengers are experiencing a bit of insomnia.  What's keeping them awake and what do they do about it?  Chiaki/Kotoha, post Act 8.  Rated T for language and mild suggestiveness.
1. Chiaki's POV

**What's On Your Mind?**

**This fic was actually kind of suggested by yite12, who agrees with me that Chiaki and Kotoha are an example of the classic "city boy meets country girl" or "rebel meets innocence" sort of couple. Thanks for the suggestion; I hope you like the end result!**

**I had originally set the timeline shortly after Act 8, "Brides Spirited Away," but having been reminded that Genta was not yet part of the team at the time, I decided that I could either take Genta out of the story or change the timeline. Since Genta is merely being mentioned and does not actually do anything in this story, I'm cutting any references to him. Apologies to any Genta fans out there.**

**Idoling! is a Japanese female idol group. One notable member of the group is Suzuka Morita, who portrayed Kotoha in _Samurai Sentai Shinkenger_. For the continuity of this story, of course, the two are completely separate entities.**

**_Samurai Sentai Shinkenger_ and all related characters and references are the property of Toei of Japan. No infringement is implied or intended.**

**Chapter 1: Chiaki's POV**

Crap. Why the hell am I still awake? I could be thinking of the next time I can get to the game center, or what I'll do tomorrow to try to surpass Takeru, or even if I'll have enough money for that Idoling! photo book soon, but no... the one thing I can't get out of my mind is that little girl from Kyoto who's asleep in the next room with _Nee-san_. Why is that?

Sometimes, I'm not sure why. On the surface, Kotoha Hanaori seems like just some naïve little country bumpkin, having never traveled out of the Kyoto countryside before now. She doesn't dress particularly fashionably, like _Nee-san_ does, and she has that funny Kyoto accent. Okay, wait a minute; that accent's actually kind of cute.

When it comes to following Takeru, she's almost as bad as Ryunosuke with all that _Tono-sama_ stuff. Again, she seems like she's just an innocent little goody two-shoes, but you know what? I actually think her innocence is refreshing. Nothing pretentious about her. No head games, no bullshit. Pretty much what you see is what you get.

I take it back; there's actually a lot more to Kotoha than meets the eye. She doesn't look it, but that girl can kick some serious ass. I know she kicked mine that one day at practice. I think that my pride was more hurt than my ass that day. And despite all that, she didn't gloat about beating me. She actually still thought of herself as a failure. What the hell is that? Doesn't she know just how awesome she is? Apparently not; she's been led to believe that she's stupid and useless, and that kind of breaks my heart.

_I_ know how awesome she is, and I've told her that. I don't know if she believes me, but at least she didn't tell me to get bent (does she even know what that means, I wonder?). I think that she actually does wish that someone would tell her that she's not stupid. I'm more than glad to tell her that, and more.

I said before that her accent was kind of cute, but that's not the only part of her that is. She's got this shy smile that does something weird to me when she flashes it. And I don't want to seem like a pervert, but I like it when she wears those over-the-knee socks with shorts. That part of her thighs that shows when she dresses that way... something kind of sexy about that. And they're so soft and smooth, too. I'd never felt anything like that before... I wonder if I'll get another chance to carry her on my back again?

Aw, damn it, I've done it now. Real nice. I'd better turn over on my side in case Ryunosuke happens to wake up and see me like this… ow!

**That last paragraph is part of the reason I decided to give this fic a T rating. Let's just say that Chiaki's pain is a… guy thing.**

**Kotoha's turn next!**


	2. Kotoha's POV

**What's On Your Mind?**

**I have to admit that I have no idea whether guys in Kyoto do bleach their hair or not; I just decided to toil under the assumption that because Kotoha lives in the countryside, she's never met anyone who looks anything like Chiaki.**

**So Chiaki's gotten a liiittle too excited thinking about Kotoha… but he's not the only one with insomnia.**

**_Samurai Sentai Shinkenger_ and all related characters and references are the property of Toei of Japan. No infringement is implied or intended.**

**Chapter 2: Kotoha's POV**

If I lie awake in bed unable to sleep, it's probably because I'm thinking about _Onee-chan_. I hope she's managing well without me. I'm still worried about _Onee-chan_ tonight, but she's not the only person on my mind.

The first time I ever saw Chiaki Tani, he looked like trouble. He had this casual stance like he was some kind of tough guy. He was wearing a school uniform, but he wasn't wearing it like you're supposed to; he had his jacket open and he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt under it. He had a chain attached to his waist that was connected to something in his back pocket; I think it was his wallet. I'd never seen a boy with hair like his, either. It was all spiky and flipped up, and it was also reddish-brown. _Ryu-san _and _Mako-chan _also have brown hair, but it's nowhere as red as Chiaki's is. _Ryu-san_ says it's because Chiaki bleaches his hair. Chiaki says that _Ryu-san_ bleaches his hair, too, but _Ryu-san_ claims his brown hair is natural. I don't know; all I know is that most of the boys back home certainly don't look like Chiaki.

Most of the boys back home don't really act like Chiaki either. Some of them can be rowdy, but Chiaki wasn't so much rowdy as he was just plain rebellious. He didn't really want to follow _Tono-sama_ in the beginning, and he didn't take his duties seriously then, either. For a while after he pledged to surpass _Tono-sama_, he still wasn't very serious about his duties. I'm thankful that he's finally decided to be more serious about being a samurai, but I think it's great that he's still the same happy-go-lucky boy in spite of that, and that he still has a sort of rebellious air about him. I don't know why, but it kind of intrigues me.

Rebel or not, Chiaki is a straightforward person. He tells you exactly what's on his mind, whether you like it or not. I like that, because I don't like having to figure out if someone is saying something because they mean it, or if they're just trying to be nice but don't want to hurt your feelings. He's funny, though, because he tells me that I'm "amazing." I don't think I am, but he does. It's actually pretty nice that he thinks that about me. I wonder what else he thinks.

Aside from that, Chiaki's also very smart. He doesn't seem like he's much for studying, but he's very… I think it's called "street smart." His way of thinking is unusual, but it's incredible how effective his crazy plans often are. It's all very fascinating to me. The fact that a boy as cute as Chiaki has such a sharp mind makes him all the more fascinating.

I said he was cute just now, didn't I? Well, he is, though, in a different way from what I'm used to. He's got a very nice smile. I've gotten used to his spiky red hair, and I think his American-style clothes suit him nicely. He also looks very nice in a suit and tie, like when we were trying to catch the Gedoushu who were kidnapping all those poor brides.

Oh my, but it's warm in here. It's pretty much still winter, but why is it so warm? I need some air.

**Kotoha can't sleep, and neither can Chiaki. Now what?**


	3. You And Me Both

**What's On Your Mind?**

**Chiaki and Kotoha are both unable to sleep because they're thinking of one another. What happens when their insomnia causes their paths to cross?**

**After this chapter was published, I was told that each of the Shinkengers had their own room, which runs counter to the story that I have written. I could change it, but I think in the context of the story, I will let it stand; Chiaki certainly wouldn't worry about Ryunosuke happening to see his "condition" as it were, if he had his own room. I'll definitely keep this in mind for future stories, though.**

_**Samurai Sentai Shinkenger**_** and all related characters and references are the property of Toei of Japan. No infringement is implied or intended.**

**Chapter 3: You and Me Both**

Kotoha quietly slid open the door to the room she shared with Mako. Carrying her blanket bunched up in front of her, she padded quietly down the hall past the room where Ryunosuke and Chiaki were sleeping.

Chiaki had managed to turn on his side, facing away from Ryunosuke. He winced at the stiffness in his boxer shorts as he tried to will the discomfort away. When he heard the door to the girls' bedroom slide open, his eyes snapped open. His fingers crept towards his Shodophone just in case, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a petite silhouette passing slowly by the paper-lined windows of the boys' bedroom. Chiaki's first thought was that Kotoha was going to the bathroom, but when he didn't hear water running after a while, he became concerned. The tightness in his shorts had subsided, so he carefully slipped out from under his blanket and headed for the door.

o-o-o-o-o

Kotoha sat on the back porch of the mansion, her hands pulling her blanket around herself in the cool night air. She looked up at the clear sky, spangled with stars. The moon was a sliver in the corner of her line of sight. _Why am I thinking about Chiaki all of a sudden? I mean, it's not like it's a bad thing to think about someone, but why him?_

"Hey."

Kotoha looked behind her and saw Chiaki leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed. He was dressed in green pajamas and white socks. His pajama top was completely unbuttoned, revealing a white tank top underneath. "Chiaki? You can't sleep either?"

Chiaki ambled up to where Kotoha was sitting and plopped himself down next to her. "Yeah. I don't know why." He didn't want to lie to Kotoha, but at the same time, he didn't want to spook her. _Like I'm going to tell her I can't sleep because I got a stiff one thinking about her and her sexy thi- will you cut that out?_

_I can't tell him that I can't sleep because I was thinking about him! He'll think I'm crazy! He probably already does! _"Me neither. I'm going to be so sleepy at practice tomorrow morning," said Kotoha. She looked over at Chiaki and asked, "Aren't you cold?"

Chiaki shook his head. "I'm all right," he answered. He quickly glanced over at Kotoha. Her upper half was swadddled in her blanket, leaving her lower half, clad in yellow floral-printed pajama pants, exposed to the chill of the night. Chiaki figured that it was either the cool weather, modesty, or a combination of both, that had Kotoha in full pajamas, but a part of him had hoped that she perhaps wore shorts to bed. A sudden light gust swirled through the courtyard, causing him to shiver.

Kotoha, noticing Chiaki's reaction to the sudden gust, unwrapped the blanket from around herself and laid it over Chiaki's shoulders. "You _are_ cold," she said simply.

Chiaki's eyes were full of surprise. "What are you doing? _You're_ going to be cold now."

Kotoha shook her head gently. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Oh, no, you won't. Scoot closer to me," said Chiaki.

"Eh?"

"Will you just scoot closer?" When Kotoha moved herself closer to Chiaki, he gathered her under the blanket with him, draping his arm across her shoulders. "There. Much better, don't you think?"

Kotoha huddled up next to Chiaki, holding him around his waist. "Like this? Are you sure this is okay?" _This feels nice._

_Oh, man, that is more than okay. _"Yeah, just like that," answered Chiaki. He took his free hand and wrapped the blanket around the two of them. He looked at Kotoha and asked, "You said you couldn't sleep, but you didn't know why. Were you having a nightmare, and you just didn't want to say? You know you can tell us anything. You can tell _me_ anything."

"No, that's not it at all," answered Kotoha. "I just... I don't know."

"Are you sick?" Chiaki gently touched the back of his hand to Kotoha's forehead, and then to his own. "No, you don't have a fever. Hmm."

"Chiaki." Kotoha smiled at him. "It's okay. It's nothing."

Chiaki felt his heartbeat quicken at the appearance of Kotoha's smile. "If you say so." He returned a shy smile of his own that broke down into him nervously biting his lip.

"But thank you for being concerned about me." Kotoha rested her cheek on Chiaki's shoulder and closed her eyes. _Mmm... he smells nice. What is that? I can smell soap, but there's something else there kind of perfumey... not like _Onee-chan's_, but more lemony-woodsy... whatever it is, I like it..._

Chiaki pulled his arms tighter around Kotoha. "Anytime," he said gently. The tranquility on Kotoha's face only served to ramp up the longing to just tilt her face up and kiss her, but Chiaki steadfastly resisted. _Damn it, I want to so bad! But I can't. I'll freak her out, I know I will_.

Kotoha looked up at Chiaki and said, "And what about you? There has to be a reason why you can't..." Her words trailed off as she locked eyes with him. "Chiaki?"_ I've never seen that look on his face before. Is he okay? Is he sick of sitting here babying me? Does he want to go back to his room?_

"Kotoha, I..." Chiaki whispered. His lips were inches from hers. _Oh, man, she's so close! Just go for it._ He licked his lips. "I'm okay," he managed to say. He turned his head to look up at the stars. "No need to worry about me. Sometimes, I just have a lot on my mind, like what I have to do to surpass Takeru... or if we'll get to go that cake shop again that we went to yesterday. I really liked that green tea mousse cake."

"It was good, wasn't it? I liked the chocolate parfait, too." Kotoha leaned her head back down on Chiaki's shoulder. She was relieved that Chiaki hadn't all of a sudden gotten tired of her snuggling up to him. Like Mako and Takeru, his presence always had a calming effect on her when she felt anxious or nervous.

"Yeah, that was good, too." Though a good part of him was throttling him inside for not taking the initiative, Chiaki knew that it was for the better. "Hopefully, we'll all get to go again soon. Between all the battles and training and all that stuff, we get so little free time to do the things we want." Chiaki sighed. "At times, I almost wish that we hadn't been gathered, but if we hadn't, I don't know if my life would have much purpose. More importantly, though..." Chiaki took a deep breath. "oh, hell, I can't hold it back any longer, Kotoha." He turned to look at Kotoha, only to find her fast asleep on his shoulder. _Oh great. I finally get the nerve, and she falls asleep on me. That's just great._ He smirked ruefully, but his frustration rapidly gave way to tenderness. Turning his body sideways and working his arm gently under her knees, taking care to keep the blanket around both their bodies, Chiaki carefully scooped Kotoha up into his arms, and her hands seemed to involuntarily move upwards to clasp behind his neck. He managed to push himself up to a standing position and headed back inside the mansion.

When he got to the girls' room, Chiaki fumbled to slide the door open, given that his hands were, quite literally, full, but he was able to use two fingers on his right hand to successfully do so. He entered the room sideways, taking care not to jostle any part of Kotoha's body against the door frame. He carefully stepped around Mako, who was fast asleep, over to Kotoha's tatami. He lowered himself to one knee, then the other, to lay Kotoha down. As Kotoha's hands fell away from around his neck, her fingers grazed his chest, sending a shiver through him. He had just finished covering Kotoha's body with the blanket when she turned her head towards him and sleepily murmured his name. "Shh," whispered Chiaki in return.

"Chiaki," Kotoha murmured once more, "Thank you. You're so nice."

Chiaki felt himself blushing. He leaned in closer to Kotoha, the temptation to kiss her rising once more. Closer and closer he drew to her, until his lips pecked her forehead tenderly. "You're welcome. Good night, Kotoha." Slowly, he rose to his feet and headed for the open door. Chiaki took one last look at Kotoha, biting his lip gently before he slid the door closed.

Kotoha turned onto her side, facing the window. She pulled her blanket up to her chin and caught a faint familiar scent on it. Raising the blanket to her nose, she inhaled and smiled as she took in the woody citrus scent of Chiaki's body spray that had rubbed off on it. She sighed contentedly as she curled up in her blanket and drifted back to sleep.

Chiaki laid down on his tatami, his face still feeling warm. _I'm totally hopeless_, he thought. A familiar feeling, uncomfortable and exhilarating at the same time, took hold once more, and he inched his hand down the front of his pajama pants with a slight sense of dread, hoping he wouldn't find what he was fearing he would. _Crap, not again! Damn it, I'll never get to sleep at this rate._

**I know, I know! I'm such a tease! I know this isn't one of my best works; it was just a little funny bit I thought of on the fly... I hope you enjoyed it anyway.**


End file.
